A Dawn of a Whole New Day
by rogueop452
Summary: The aftermath. Just how evil will Christina become? Only time will tell.
1. Chapter 1

Sara Parker was in a state of shock. Her worst nightmare had come true. To have her only son, her precious Jesse's life taken away by Christina Nickson, the Child of Darkness, and ironically with the same blade meant for her. It wasn't supposed to end this way.

She had been shown the prophecy and she had been ready. "The Seven must die willingly...to bless the killing blow." She had been so proud of Jesse for accepting his responsibility. The priests had prepared him to the best of their abilities, and she had sent him out with her blessing. She had wanted to tell him then. She had kept so many secrets from him in the past. But telling him that she would be sacrificing her own life that night along with six others would not have been wise. He would never have agreed to carry out his part in the prophecy if he knew. So once again, she had hid the truth from him only hinting at what was to come. She would be there for him when it was over. She would always be there for him. Even if it was only in spirit.

When her husband had foolishly put a stop to the sacrifice, she immediately knew Jesse was in danger. She had prayed then. She had asked God to spare his life. But it was not meant to be. He had died at the hands of Satan's daughter.

But there was still some semblance of hope for him. She wouldn't give in to despair just yet. After all, he had died once before. For seven hours his lifeless body had lain in the morgue. God had brought him back for a purpose then. And his destiny had yet to be fulfilled. He was the world's only chance. There was still hope that God's light would shine on him once again. And she would cling to that hope like a drowning victim to a piece of driftwood.

Sara got in her car and drove at high speed towards the Kramer's house. Blinded by tears she almost missed seeing the young girl walking down the center of the road. She slammed on the brakes, instinct taking over as her car skidded across the asphalt, coming to a stop inches away from her.

An eerie chill ran down her spine as she recognized the long blonde hair and slim form. Sara felt a rage burning deep inside her soul. Its intensity frightened her. She had to quell the sudden urge to put her foot down on the pedal and wipe that cold dead smile right off the young girls face. Only the fact that she knew the girl couldn't die, kept her from carrying it through.

With a heavy feeling of foreboding, Sara watched Christina as the dark ominous mass of a thousand crows formed above her, filling the early mornings crimson sky...


	2. Chapter 2

All of the Kramer's, with the exception of Isabelle's rotting corpse, were gathered on the sidewalk in front of their house...Or at least what was left of their house after Christina Nickson, "The Child of Darkness" threw her huge temper tantrum.

"We lost her...It's over," Judy said as she stared in shocked disbelief at the devastated ruins of her home.

Hearing the defeat in her voice, Meg glanced at her daughter. "It's not over," she stated emphatically. The horrific physical and mental torture that Christina Nickson had spitefully subjected her family to still fresh in her _own_ mind, she gathered up her courage as well as her convictions. "We have to go after Christina...And if we can save her, we can save ourselves."

"And if we can't save her, we kill the bitch," Judy said sounding equally determined.

Meg searched her daughter's eyes. Though the finality of her statement brooked no argument, Meg knew she was being irrational. Judy was so angry with Christina...And after the terrorizing night she had put them through, who could blame her? But what her daughter failed to realize at the moment...Meg shivered involuntarily when an image of Isabelle's decaying corpse flashed in her minds eye...was that _not_ saving Christina meant there would be a world of corpses lying at her feet...including Judy's. As another shiver coursed through her Meg heard a mournful sob at her side.

"Isabelle..."

Startled, Meg turned to her husband. "Ben..." she said, her breath catching in her throat. He looked so lost and confused. And his eyes...his once beautiful blue eyes... Pushing aside the heavy anguish gripping her heart, she gently took hold of his arm. "We need to get you to the hospital. I'm sure there's something they can do for you."

"Or not...," Judy mumbled half under her breath. "I'll get the door," she offered quickly when her mother shot her a look over her shoulder.

Suddenly realizing he was being led away from his house Ben reached his arm out beseechingly. "Isabelle...She's in there..."

"Yes, I know," Meg replied grimly, "We'll deal with that later." Continuing to steer her husband towards her minivan, she offered him a smile but it quickly faded when she realized how futile the gesture was.

"No, I saw her," Ben insisted as he pliantly let his wife and daughter maneuver him into the van. "I really saw her. She took my hand..."

Once her father was safely belted into the back seat, Judy shared a worried look with her mother. "Do you think he's in shock Mom?" she asked, trying to keep her voice low. "He seems to be...kind of out of it."

"Don't worry Judy. The doctors will know what to do." Meg smiled knowingly. "They have all kinds of drugs for this sort of thing."

Detecting a slightly sardonic note in Meg's voice, Judy winced as she remembered the cocktail of medications her father had prescribed for her mother to control her hallucinations...To control her...The sound of the van door sliding shut snapping her back into the moment she asked, "So what do we do now?"

"We need to find Christina and save her," Meg reiterated.

Judy rolled her eyes impatiently. "Yeah, I got that part," she replied as she hastily followed her mother around to the driver's side of the car. "What I meant was what do we do now that Satan's daughter has destroyed our home and blinded my father? And shouldn't someone call Jesse's parents? I mean, he's lying in there with a ten inch blade through his neck." Judy cringed as she recalled the details of Jesse's gruesome death. "Oh my God...She was going to kill me Mom. Doesn't that put a damper on your 'let's save Christina crusade' just a little bit?"

Judy was becoming hysterical. Knowing the both of them needed to stay calm, Meg put her hand on her arm reassuringly. "We don't know that she would have gone through with it," she said in the best soothing mother voice she could muster at the moment. "Jesse jumped in front of you. Maybe Christina would have stopped the blade before it reached you."

Her exasperation increasing by the moment, Judy snatched her arm away from her mother. "Now _you're_ the one who's not listening. Christina's finally gone off the deep end. It's too late to save her. She's going to destroy us all."

Meg shook her head. "As long as we're still alive..."

"Yeah, yeah...'As long as we're still alive it's not over'. Sorry Mom, but you'll have to excuse me if I'm not too ecstatic about that encouraging line of thought right now." Judy looked back towards the rubble of their home. "What about Jesse, and...Isabelle? Shouldn't we call the police? Although, how do we tell them what happened without sounding like we're prime candidates for the loony bin?"

"I'll think of something. Just get in the car."

"But..."

"Please Judy," Meg interrupted, trying to hold her own annoyance in check. "We don't have time..."

Both mother and daughter stood stock still when they suddenly heard the sound of distant sirens. Their eyes met briefly and then without uttering a word, they simultaneously sprang into action.

Her eyes widening in fear, Judy all but ran around the car and got into the front passenger seat. Slamming the car door and buckling her seat belt in record time, she glanced over at her mother. "What are you waiting for?" she asked, her heart racing.

"The keys..." was all Meg said as she stared with panic filled eyes at her daughter.

Suddenly it dawned on Judy that the keys were still in her mother's purse...which was currently back at the house. "Shit!"

"Judy! Language!" Ben suddenly said from the back seat.

Despite her anxious state of mind, Meg grinned sheepishly at her daughter. "I don't suppose you know how to hot wire a car...?"

"Oh my God!" Judy said shaking her head in disbelief. "The world's about to end and my Dad's concerned about my language?"

"Judy..."

"And you," Judy said turning an accusing eye on her mother. "What do you think I am? Some kind of hoodlum?"

"I just thought..." Meg began distractedly. "I mean since you work at a gas station..." Making a quick decision, she reached for her door handle.

"Wait!" Judy said grabbing her mother's arm. "Where are you going?"

"We need those keys," was all Meg said by way of explanation. "You stay here with your father." Climbing out of the car, she headed towards the white picket fence, the only structure left untouched by Christina's malicious bout of destruction. After throwing open the gate she hurried up the walkway. As she stood on what was once the front porch of their home, wondering where to begin her search, a large piece of collapsed drywall suddenly began to shift...


	3. Chapter 3

"You know," Christina stated in a matter of fact voice, after casually seating herself next to Sara, "I don't think we've ever been formally introduced." She held out her hand. "I'm Christina, Christina Nickson."

"I know who you are," Sara replied vehemently as she gazed with contempt upon the deceptively charming face of the young girl who had just murdered her son. "You're the 'Child of the Beast'."

Christina smiled wryly. "I prefer 'Child of Darkness'. It sounds much more...eloquent. Don't you think?"

Sara could feel a terrible evil surrounding Christina almost as if it were a tangible thing. Shaking with fear and sensing her impending doom, she began praying under her breath.

Christina uttered a short derisive chuckle. "That's so cute...You're still clinging to your faith in God, even after He deserted your precious son in his time of need. That knife sliced through him like butter..."

"You evil bitch!" Sara gasped in horror and outrage. "You may have won for now," she said with more bravado than she felt at the moment, "but God will show us the way again and when He does they'll be sending someone to stop you!"

Watching Sara closely for a reaction Christina said, "Unless 'Team Vatican' has another 'Chosen One' sitting on the warm up bench, I find that highly unlikely." When an expression of deep mental anguish washed over Sara's features briefly before she closed her eyes tightly shut, Christina's lips twisted into a satisfied smirk.

The fact that she could push Sara's buttons so easily and so completely had a strange calming effect on Christina. But at the same time, the thought of just how deep Sara's devotion was to God and to her son stirred up pangs of jealousy inside of her. Unconditional love had always eluded her. The closest she had ever come to experiencing it in its purest form had been with Jesse. But those rare moments of happiness in an otherwise bleak existence were nothing but distant memories now.

"You know it really wasn't my fault," Christina began as she looked broodingly down the road ahead. "I didn't want to kill Jesse." She frowned, as if realizing the truth behind her statement for the first time. "I only wanted him to hurt. Just like he hurt me. I mean I actually thought he cared about me...and for a moment, I believed him when he told me he loved me." Remembering Jesse's devastating act of betrayal, her eyes flashed with anger. "But then he stabbed me in the gut!"

Sara reflexively drew back into her seat and threw her arms up for protection when with a deafening blast the windshield suddenly exploded sending a shower of glass shooting across the front seat. She sat in stunned silence for several moments, before reaching a trembling hand to her stinging face and feeling for the wetness that she knew would be there.

"I felt it then," Christina continued as she stared straight ahead with unfocused eyes, seemingly unmindful to the now panic stricken woman next to her who was currently trying frantically but unsuccessfully to open her car door. "It hurt so badly, but even through the pain, I felt it happening. It was almost as if a part of me was leaving my body..."

Christina paused and frowned in consternation at the notion that the strange and terrifying feeling of overwhelming loss and pain she had felt at that exact moment was actually her soul being ripped away from her. At the sudden shocking thought of just how close Jesse had come to succeeding in his mission she angrily clenched her fist, digging her fingernails deeply into her palm. "And then the pain went away, and Jesse was standing there spouting something about how he still loved me and that he only did it to save me." Taking note of a familiar tingling sensation in her hand she opened her fist and glanced down with interest as four bloody crescent shaped gashes on her palm healed before her eyes. She heard Sara's sharp intake of breath and as if suddenly remembering her presence, shot a scornful look in her direction. "As if I would ever believe him again after he betrayed me like that."

"So you killed him," Sara stated mournfully, her tears mingling with her wounds and streaming red rivulets down her cheeks. "You killed my son!"

"Not intentionally," Christina replied distractedly as she watched Sara's trail of blood stained tears drip unheeded onto the front of her silky white robe. "He just got in the way. He had to play the hero in the end." A wry smile formed on her lips. "What a waste...he was really good in the sack. I could have used one last booty call."

"That's enough!" Sara pleaded, the thought of Jesse and Christina together turning her stomach. "What more do you want from me? Please just let me go to my son!"

Suddenly bored with the conversation Christina sighed, her attention diverted to the set of black rosary beads dangling from the rear view mirror. She reached a hesitant hand towards them, not sure what to expect. She felt Sara's eyes on her and could sense the older woman's own anticipation as she tentatively touched the silver cross with one fingertip. When there were no immediate repercussions, she wasn't sure who felt more disappointed.

"I guess you can't believe everything you see on television," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. Idly twirling the strand of beads around her fingers, she turned in her seat, giving Sara her full attention. "Someone recently told me that this world is a sick dog that needs to be put down. I'd have to say, I can see his point now."

Looking into the face of pure evil, Sara reached up and crossed herself.

Christina chuckled. "Don't worry...," she told Sara with a sickly sweet smile on her angelic face, "...you'll be reuniting with Jesse real soon."

Sara's breath caught in her throat, not sure whether to pray or scream. But Christina had no trouble deciding Sara's fate...there was a sudden massive fluttering of wings and caws, as a large flock of crows lit out from the tops of the pine trees that lined the road on either side of the car, followed by an eerie silence...and before she had a chance to utter a sound, Sara met it.

--

Taking the scenic route to Manhattan, in order to more thoroughly enjoy the destruction that was about to unfold, Boyd twisted his broken and battered body in the back of the limousine, and watched in eager anticipation as the distant clouds gathered over the horizon and darkness descended upon the town of Point Pleasant signaling what was to come.

"Your father will be proud Christina. Yes indeed, it's been a long time coming." Boyd grinned though it pained him to do so. "It truly is the dawn of a whole new day."


	4. Chapter 4

Judy sat in the hospital waiting area nervously wringing her hands. She felt so useless. There had to be something she could be doing right now. Waiting for news on her father's condition was just so frustrating. How long did it take to diagnose blindness anyway? You didn't need a medical degree to figure out that there was no way he was ever going to see again. She knew that from the moment she first saw the results of Christina's cruel and spiteful act.

She winced as she recalled the painful burns Christina had inflicted upon her father. And after all their family had done for her. She didn't care what her mother said...she hated Christina. Or at least she hated what she had become. There was no saving her now. She was too far gone. Her mother may still have hope, but as far as Judy was concerned, Christina could rot in hell.

A sardonic smile crept across Judy's lips. 'Of course that's not much of a threat,' she thought to herself when an image of Satan and Christina having a cozy little chat while they toasted marshmallows over a fire pit in hell flashed in her head.

Feeling the sudden need to relieve her tension, Judy got up hastily from her chair and began pacing. She glanced at the clock on the wall for the sixth time in as many minutes and sighed heavily.

'Mom and Dad have been in with the doctors for over an hour. An hour and six minutes to be exact. A simple eye exam shouldn't take more than a half hour. What exactly is going on in there?'

Suddenly she stopped pacing.

'Did Mom tell them the truth? That Dad was viciously blinded by the daughter of the devil? And what about Jesse's death and Isabelle's body? Did she tell them about that too? Maybe the police are on there way over here right now...'

Judy's eyes darted anxiously towards the entranceway to the hospital.

'But then again, with Mom's history of mental illness, unless Dad backed her up, there was no way they'd ever believe her. And in his current condition...'

Her stomach twisted when she remembered how her usually stoic father had broken down in the car on the way to the hospital.

'And who could blame him. Finding out that the girl who had been living under his roof for most of the summer was none other than the devil's daughter was reason enough. But then being blinded by Christina after she'd gone all Antichristy and to be put through that terrifying ordeal...with Isabelle, Jesse, and the house...? It was all just too much for him. He'd finally snapped. Are the men in the little white coats coming for both my parents now?'

In a panic, Judy searched the hallway in front of her.

'God, I'm so stupid. We didn't even discuss a plan. Mom said she would handle everything. Maybe I should have asked what exactly that entailed.'

"Judy..." a voice said behind her. At the same time a hand touched her shoulder.

Startled, Judy spun around. Relief washing over her, she grabbed her mother and hugged her tightly, than pulled back, searching her face frantically.

"Mom! I've been so worried. What did the doctors say?"

Meg shook her head at her daughter. "It doesn't look good."

"What do you mean?" Judy asked, with a heavy feeling of dread as she heard the defeat in her mother's voice.

"Your father's going to be blind for the rest of his life."

Judy let out her breath. She'd already suspected that earlier. "Oh," she replied distractedly. "On the bright side...that may not be quite as long as expected. If we don't stop Christina..."

"Judy!"

The utter shock she saw on her mother's face at the insensitivity of her remark brought Judy back down to reality. She'd been so wrapped up with their situation, she hadn't really thought how her father's blindness would affect him, and the impact it would have on their family as a whole. Finally letting it sink in that her father's blindness was permanent, she swallowed hard. "Oh my God Mom. What are we going to do?"

Meg patted Judy's hand consolingly, although she was going through a similar realization of her own. "It'll be alright Sweetie. Your father is a strong man. He'll get through this. We all will."

Judy heard the slight catch in her mother's voice, and saw the tears forming in her eyes. "Sorry Mom, I didn't mean to sound so callous. It's just all so surreal. I keep hoping I'll wake up and it will all have been just a really...really bad dream."

Meg searched her daughter's eyes, trying to be strong she fought back her tears. "We're all under a lot of stress. We've been through so much."

'That's the understatement of the year.' Judy thought to herself. "Can we go see Dad now?"

"Not yet. The doctors gave him a sedative to calm him down. He's going to be out of it for the rest of the morning. They want to keep him here for a few days while they run more tests. But they can't do anything until he's...stable."

Judy knew her mother meant her father's mental stability. She also knew it was something that neither of them were willing to discuss right then.

"What did you tell them," Judy asked. "I mean about how Dad got blinded. Did you tell them about...Christina?"

Meg looked at her sharply. "No...Of course not! If we told people the truth, it would only set everyone off in a panic. It could even start the war."

Judy looked away in thought. "A war which has the potential to bring on the end of days...I never thought the apocalypse would be happening in my lifespan. I guess that's what they all say. I mean I'm sure when he was a child, Noah never dreamed he'd be taking such a long boat trip with a crew of animals onboard." She turned back to her mother. "Sorry...I'm rambling. I tend to do that in a crisis. Just like with Christina. If I hadn't gone all preachy with her, maybe she wouldn't have sent that knife my way and then Jesse..." Judy shuddered.

Reaching a hand out, Meg caressed her daughter's cheek. "Oh Hunny no...it wasn't your fault. Don't blame yourself." Meg bit her lip as if as if mulling over something in her mind. Then, making a decision, she took a breath. "Judy, there's something I need to tell you."

"It's kind of ironic," Judy continued as if she hadn't heard her mother. "First she saves my life, then she tries to filet me."

Meg momentarily froze. "What do you mean? When did Christina save you?"

"That's right," Judy said, suddenly realizing that there were a lot of things she had done over the course of the summer concerning Christina that her mother wasn't aware of. "You don't know about the time Christina and I drugged Boyd and held him hostage to get him to tell the truth about how we could stop him."

"Judy...You didn't!"

"Yeah. Your daughter...the criminal mastermind. Who knew? If it makes you feel any better, I was like totally freaking out the whole time. But Christina...now she knows how to hold it all together in a stressful situation. Gotta hand it to her for that. I'll spare you the details, but basically, we got the information we wanted, then Boyd escaped. I guess demons have a stronger tolerance for drugs than us mere humans. Oh and he also heals quicker than the norm. In fact, I think he's pretty much immortal. At least that's what he implied...right before he threatened to kill me." Judy paused for a moment, swallowing back the fear rising up in her throat as the memory of when Boyd had her in his clutches resurfaced. "He mentioned something about 'wearing me' while he held a knife at my throat. I'm not real sure what he meant by that, but it didn't sound pleasant."

Meg gasped, repulsed at the thought of her daughter's life being taken so brutally.

"But then Christina saved me. She stood up to Boyd without resorting to her powers." Judy said sadly reflecting on the good side of Christina that was gone now. "Of course Boyd made her beg first. He asked her if I was 'the one' she wanted. Like he only gives one 'get out of death free card' or something like that...Sorry...I'm rambling again." Judy finished, trying to shake off the eeriness of that night. "And I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet."

"Oh...that's what Christina meant by that remark...Judy! Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't quite...yourself at the time. I didn't want to add to your...confusion."

"I think Boyd had something to do with my...'confusion' at that time, as you so delicately put it. Although who knows. I have been out of it for the last couple of years."

"It's okay. We all have. Isabelle...I miss her so much. Which reminds me, what do we do about...her body. It's back there...under all that rubble. And Jesse?"

"Judy. About Jesse. I couldn't tell you earlier. Not in front of your Father. I'm not even sure if I should tell you now. He told me not to."

"Who told you not to?" Judy asked in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"Jesse...he's alive. I spoke to him back at the house."

Judy's eyes widened. "What? No... He couldn't be," she shook her head in disbelief. "The knife...there's no way! Are you sure it wasn't one of your...?" Her voice trailed off tactfully.

"One of my hallucinations?" Meg finished for her. "I thought the same thing when I first saw him. But no...It was very real. I only talked to him briefly. I'm not quite sure I understand it all. He mentioned something about Christina making him stronger when she was near. He 'came back' in all the confusion, when the house was coming down around us. But he had to wait until Boyd was gone."

"I saw Boyd leave when you went back to the house for the keys." Judy grinned. "He didn't look so good." She shook her head, trying to stay focused on what her mother was saying. "Is that what took you so long? Oh my God Mom." Judy said, allowing a small ray of hope to enter her heart. "Jesse's alive!" Elated, Judy grabbed her mother and gave her a quick hug.

"Judy..." Meg said, holding her daughter back at arms length and looking seriously into her eyes. "We have to keep this a secret. If the wrong people find out..."

"Don't worry," Judy replied with confidence. "I've gotten pretty good at keeping secrets lately. Where's Jesse now?"

Meg shook her head. "I'm not sure. He said he'd contact me. He's going to take care of Isabelle's body first. I gave him your father's car. He won't be needing it anymore..." Meg looked away and Judy could see the sadness in her eyes. She knew her mother was trying to hold it all together. She suddenly looked so tired...

"Mom, it's okay. You don't have to try to be so strong. Maybe you should get some rest. We could check into a hotel."

Meg gave her daughter a reassuring smile. "I'm fine Judy. But perhaps you're right. We could both use some rest. We could stay at Amber's house. She left a message on your father's cell phone. She must have called when we were 'occupied' with Christina last night. Evidently Terry persuaded her that it wasn't safe in Point Pleasant anymore. She left town with Paula and advised us to do the same. I'm sure she won't mind if we used her place while she's away."

"So we're really going to try to fight this thing? Just the two of us against all that evil? Well and Jesse. I still can't believe it."

"It's not just us now. I told you. There are others. We need to find them."

"Is it safe here? If Christina's still on the rampage, maybe we should all leave town until the coast is clear. And Boyd...what about him?"

"No...I can feel it. They're gone. The both of them. We're safe for now. But if we don't find Christina soon and stop her, it won't be safe for anyone anywhere, no matter where they run to."

"Well the good news is... if Jesse's alive, then Christina hasn't taken a life yet...well technically that's true. Which means there's still hope."

"Yes...'Thou shalt not kill'... As long as she hasn't taken a life...there's hope for Christina...and for us all."


	5. Chapter 5

Christina stared at the sign. 'Now leaving Point Pleasant. Thank you for visiting.'

She frowned deeply. It would be a long walk to Manhattan at this pace. A really long walk. Especially with all the birds overhead cawing and flapping their freaking wings. What was with them anyway? Didn't they have anything better to do than to follow her around?

She slowly turned around. Peering up into the heavily overcast sky she glared with annoyance at the large flock of noisy winged creatures. Suddenly there was one very loud communal caw and then in the blink of an eye the entire flock exploded into a fiery ball of flame. The flame burnt out within a few seconds, leaving only the smoke and ash residue behind, which drifted across the sky aimlessly before dissipating into nothingness.

Christina scanned the horizon and listened intently. When she didn't see or hear any more birds approaching she smirked. "Much better," she said with satisfaction. She took a few slow breaths in an attempt to calm herself then turned and headed back down the road.

She had barely passed the sign when there was the distant sound of a vehicle coming up behind her. Stopping in her tracks she turned and waited. As the vehicle drew nearer, she put her thumb out and smiled sweetly.

The sporty black BMW squealed to a stop in front of her. The front passenger side window lowered. The driver, a balding middle-aged man with a well trimmed goatee, obviously manicured hands and an overly bleached smile leaned over in his seat.

"A sweet little thing like you shouldn't be hitchhiking," he said while eyeing her with a blatantly lecherous look. "Didn't your mother teach you better than that?"

Christina's eyes narrowed. "My mother's nothing more than a lying bitch of a whore. The only thing she ever taught me is that things are never as they seem. Something you should try to remember in the future."

Suddenly the driver side door opened.

"What the fu..." the man said turning briskly around in his seat. But he didn't have time to finish his sentence. Before his last word was complete he was violently snatched out of the car by an invisible force. His body flew through the air like a shot, instantly disappearing over the cliff on the opposite side of the road.

Christina crossed the street and strolled over to the cliff. She looked down and scanned the brush. The man was alive, but clinging precariously to a rock. She watched in amusement as he tried to pull himself up. He saw Christina and yelled up at her.

"Please help me," he begged. "There's a rope in the trunk of my car."

Christina cocked her head to the side. "You want me to help you?" she sneered. "You're lucky I opened the door first."

She turned and strode back towards the car with purpose. The man's frantic pleas behind her falling on deaf ears.

She got into the car and closed the door. The engine was still running and the radio was on. Suddenly the music stopped playing. Christina looked down at the dashboard. She watched curiously as the radio dial began moving on its own to the right. A few seconds later the dial came to a stop. Christina stared at the dashboard blankly for a few moments while she listened to the music playing.

A wry grin formed on her face. "I guess Daddy has a sense of humor after all."

Christina put the car into gear and drove in the direction of Manhattan as the song 'Highway to Hell' blared from the speakers.


	6. Chapter 6

_She had wanted her life to be with him. He didn't. It was all so very Buffy/Angel like. The big bad versus the slayer…The Child of Darkness versus the Chosen One, both with the same romance meets destiny theme going on. Jesse plus Christina forever? Not so much any more. _

_Unrequited love…_

_So very bad for Christina. So very very bad for mankind._

_Of course Jesse hadn't come right out and said as much. No…He let the blade do the talking. It was all pretty much a one sided conversation with the betrayal and the gutting and the soul ripping…_

_Pretty gruesome. Pretty cold hearted. Pretty darn stupid if you ask me._

_But what do I know? After all, I was the one who let the bitch into our lives in the first place. Let her walk right in...Practically begged her. Yes please Christina/aka Child of the Beast, please feel free to move right in with my family. I can be like the sister that you never had. And look, you can even stay in my real sister's room. The one whose tragic death my mother is still mourning deeply. So deeply that she's even gone a little loopy over it. But don't mind her. If she starts hallucinating and calling you Isabelle, just smile and nod. It'll pass. And if it doesn't? Just call my dad. He'll take care of her. Just like he always does. My dad and his handy dandy prescription pad will take real good care of her. Never mind that what he has to offer is only a temporary fix. Never mind that nothing he can prescribe will ever bring Isabelle back… No…We'll leave that up to you Christina…_

Judy glanced across the kitchen island, her eyes lighting on the dining room table in the adjoining room. Although Amber's dining room was much more formal than their own had been_…'had been' being the key words_…she cringed inwardly remembering the horrific party of five family dinner scene that, thanks to Christina, would forever be ingrained in her memory.

_I guess you did pull through for us in that department, didn't you Christina? We all missed Isabelle so terribly that you brought her home to us. You were so rigidly determined to make us listen to…you…Ha… 'rigidly' determined. Oh God. I just made a joke about Isabelle's corpse. And a bad one at that. I'm for sure gonna burn in hell...In fact...we all might be burning in hell..._ "...And a lot sooner than anyone may have anticipated..."

Gently setting her cup of espresso down on the counter, Meg turned to Judy, regarding her with concern. "What was that Sweetie?"

_Darn…How much of that post-apocalyptic pity fest did I just say out loud? _"Um…Sorry Mom. I was just thinking out loud." _Unintentionally of course. Which means I must be losing my mind. Is insanity inherited?_

"About…?" Meg prompted, her bright blue eyes searching for clues as to what was on her daughter's mind, although from the way she had been angrily stabbing at her plate of scrambled eggs in front of her, she had her suspicions.

Judy chewed on her lip lightly, contemplating what to tell her mother. _About…? Oh…Nothing really…Just thinking about how totally screwed we all are. Safe subject…Safe subject…Well not so safe but_…

"I just miss Dad and…Jesse..."_ And…Isabelle. And hopefully if Christina ever comes back into town that last issue will remain unresolved...Although...having to set another place at the table for my dead sister's corpse should be the least of my worries. If the end of all days is upon us..._Judy gritted her teeth in suppressed anger at the impending doom hovering over their heads…Over mankind's head. _Damn Christina! And damn Jesse for listening to those Vatican assholes. Didn't he know? Was he too wrapped up in his 'destiny' to see? It was like a self fulfilling prophecy...The moment he plunged that knife into Christina we were all as good as..._

"I'm back..."

Hearing an ever so familiar voice behind them, both Meg and Judy leapt to their feet in unison, sending the chrome bar stools under them toppling over and clattering to the tiled floor in their haste.

"...Did you miss me?"


	7. Chapter 7

If Christina had learned nothing else from Boyd it was that dramatic effect was everything when making a grand entrance.

"I'm back," she announced from behind both Judy and Meg Kramer as she stood in the middle of their kitchen...Or...Paula Hargrove's kitchen to be more exact. Smirking a bit at the irony of it all, she waited until all eyes were upon her and then continued into the heavy silence. "Did you miss me?"

Well aware that her youth and petite stature often belied her hell-raising ability and that her eyes were her best feature when it came to intimidation she kept her menacing glare fixed on the two women who, over the course of the summer, she had learned to put her trust and faith in only to have them turn around and stab her in the back.

(Figuratively speaking of course. Any literal stabbing that had gone down in the Kramer's household that morning had been all of Jesse's and Christina's doing. And it was more in the gut and the neck, not the back. Neither Judy nor Meg had actually physically harmed Christina in any way. And despite Judy's efforts to convince Meg otherwise, her mom had held true in her belief that good would win out over the evil inside of her. And for the most part she had been right. It wasn't until Meg turned her back on Christina and Judy betrayed her that the forces of hell were unleashed from within her. And now she was back in Point Pleasant for round two.)

Not really expecting Meg or Judy to respond due to the hard truth that she was the devil's offspring and had easily silenced them with her demonic powers the moment she had their full attention, Christina answered for her unwilling captives after several pounding heartbeats had passed. "No, of course you didn't miss me. But don't worry...that doesn't hurt my feelings." She smiled the smile she used whenever she tried to hide her true emotions. "I've gotten used to people hating me."

Meg and Judy's nearly identical looks of complete and utter panic were apparent as they struggled in vain to break free from Christina's baleful grip. She pursed her lips as she gazed speculatively at Meg, wistfully remembering how genuinely warm and welcoming she had been right from the start. Soft-hearted tenderness had gone a long way to heal a few scars from her past and, for a short while at least, had lifted her soul from the dark abyss she had been floundering in. Judy's mom had shown love to her in a way that her own mother couldn't...or wouldn't...even after finding out how flawed she was.

_Of all the people in the world, surely I can show Judy's mother a little mercy in return for her kindness...perhaps by killing her quickly without making her suffer?  
_

Christina's bewitching eyes flashed ever so slightly in surprise at the nonsensical and unnatural notion that had just popped into her head.

_Where would be the fun in that? _she thought, promptly discarding the idea. After all, wasn't fun the reason why she had come back? At least it was part of the reason, she decided, but a very big factor nonetheless._  
_

Christina grinned the most evil grin she possessed as she tossed back her long blonde hair confidently, truly enjoying the tension her unexpected arrival had created. "What's the matter...Jude?" she asked, making a point to use the nickname her sister, Isabelle had called her. "Cat got your tongue?"

Although she was more than elated to see that Judy was looking particularly agitated to the point where there was a strong possibility that she might actually lose control of her bodily functions, at the same time it disappointed her to witness just how easy it was to quell her resistant spirit. Admittedly she had expected such a reaction from her, but still...

The predictability of human nature was often quite amusing to Christina, and yet despite the fact that Judy was playing the part of the frightened little girl so well, she had hoped in the time that she had been away she would have finally grown a spine to make things a little more interesting between them. Not that Judy would stand a chance against her.

With a scornful eye Christina swept her gaze over Judy's scrawny form as she stood motionless before her, frozen like a mannequin on display, taking in her braided pigtails, oversized plaid flannel shirt and cut-off jean shorts.

_Nope. Not a chance in hell._

"By the way, nice outfit ," Christina said with a sneer that contradicted her words. "I'm going to assume you were going for the Daisy Duke look?"

_Oh well, _she thought indifferently, when her remark didn't elicit any noticeable reaction,_ I guess I'll have to rely on my own form of creativity to amuse myself. _

Feigning a look of nonchalance, she crossed her arms and leaned back up against the kitchen cabinets. "Hmm," she pondered assessing Judy's overall appearance critically. "I know that fashion isn't really your thing. But if you want to capture a guys attention, you really need to let that tomboy inside of you die a quick and terrible death."

Meg sent her questioning gaze her daughter's way to the best of her ability, when Judy's shirt began unbuttoning by itself. Only Christina had a feeling they both knew how it was happening. It was the why that was most likely eluding them at the moment...as was Christina's patience. In the blink of a surprised eye Judy's shirt was ripped all the way open and tied at her midriff.

"Something still seems to be missing from this picture." Christina tapped her chin for a few moments, and then smiled slyly at the thought of what she could do to Judy. And to Meg.

The full clarity of conscious desire upon her, she shrugged off the minuscule feeling of guilt that wormed its way into her psyche, reminding herself that she was the reason bad things happen to good people and she was only doing what she was made to do. As always, she'd feel better once the blood started flowing.

_Which means it's time to kick things into gear_.

Eager to begin, her eyes immediately darted to the expensive set of cutlery standing upright on the counter to the left of her, next to the sink and without even flexing a muscle, the largest of the knives rose up into the air. Her intention? To increase the sense of terror in the room. Why? Simply because she could.

Christina's pulse jumped with excitement at the inviting sight of the sharp steel blade glistening in the morning sunlight and when, in her peripheral vision, she saw both mother and daughter flinch within the confines of their intangible bindings, she had to restrain herself from heightening her enjoyment with immediate gratification by inflicting random repetitive damage on those who had wronged her so badly. She needed to pace herself…there was no real rush. She may have destroyed the Kramer's home in a fit of pique, but for what she had planned for them next, she had to be in the right mood for. And right now she was in the mood for torture.

**A.N.** Anybody still interested in another chapter?


	8. Chapter 8

"I'm back..."

And there it stood in all its evil glory...the embodiment of her worst fears...in the middle of the kitchen.

Judy's mouth opened to let out an involuntary scream and her first instinct was to run, but like in a nightmare, she couldn't move and her scream came out in a strangled gurgle. Purposely thwarted before it even started, it left her silently gasping for a breath, hoping beyond hope it wouldn't be her last.

"Did you miss me?"

_Please let me be dreaming_, Judy pleaded within her head. Her eyes beginning to tear up from having had her outcry so emphatically and forcefully squelched, she blinked frantically, repeatedly trying to clear her vision. She _had_ to be dreaming, she thought, desperately wanting to believe the disturbing sight in front of her was nothing more than a product of her subconscious after eating ice cream too late at night. But the strong smell of..._Was that brimstone?_...mixed with espresso still hanging in the air told her otherwise. _No...I'm not dreaming...this is really happening!_

Her eyes somewhat blurry but her sense of reasoning still fully intact despite the panic-strickened turbulence that was her mind, Judy stared helplessly at none other than Satan's daughter, Christina Nickson's slightly out of focus features smirking smugly back at her as a sudden feeling of being stuck in some kind of evil deja vu time warp washed over her. She'd already taken her family hostage once before and let them go. Why was she back?

_Oh God no!_

The paralyzing, almost possessive grip on her limbs more than vaguely familiar...Judy had a chilling suspicion that this time around there would be no escaping the blond's frightening clutches.

At that exact moment, this inevitable forgone conclusion wasn't only occurring in Judy's mind. Taking into consideration who she was, Christina's ominous presence obscured any thoughts of escaping the intangible yet very real hold she had on both mother and daughter, which seemed to be, not only powerful but all-encompassing.

"No, of course you didn't miss me," Christina went on to say when neither Judy nor Meg responded. Not that they could have commented even if they wanted to seeing as, along with almost completely immobilizing them, she had taken away their ability to speak...which although it seemed very much like overcompensation on Christina's part, quite possibly might have been kind of a good thing considering that either one or both of them wouldn't likely have had the most politically correct response at the ready and that the slightest misplaced comment or provocation might just tick Christina off. And the last thing they needed to do was to anger the 'Child of the Beast', who they already knew from experience didn't handle feelings of displeasure very well. "But don't worry...that doesn't hurt my feelings...I've gotten used to people hating me."

Meg was almost certain from Christina's all too familiar fake smile and tone of voice that she wasn't being truthful. But, her breath coming in shallow gasps, she was more certain that the life was slowly being squeezed out of her, and after realizing her voice of reason was being silenced as well, her last vestibule of hope was fastly fading along with it. She had thought that if they found Christina they could save her, and in turn...save themselves. She could truly see now how foolish she had been.

_Judy!_ Meg cried out inwardly when with a flick of her hair, Christina's intense preoccupation seemed to shift. But not in a good way. Driven by her maternal instincts, Meg tried with all her might to turn her head to assess the predicament her daughter was in. Finding the effort frustrating in its pointlessness she at least managed to roll her eyes to the left where she saw...to her relief...Judy, still alive, but struggling uselessly within her own personal hell.

"What's the matter Jude? Cat got your tongue?"

Her thoughts reeling at a frenzied pace, all Meg could think about was how much more evil Christina seemed now than a few weeks ago. And remembering how battered and broken Sarah Parker's body had been after being spitefully granted her last request to 'go to' her son Jesse when Christina knew very well he was lying dead under a heap of wreckage that was once the Kramer's family's home, Meg quickly said a small silent prayer_...Oh Lord,_ _please don't let Christina be using the term literally..._

And, as great minds think alike...or like mother, like daughter...or whatever other phrase that might befit the moment, knowing her ex best friend's warped sense of humor all too well, Judy's eyes widened in horror and she nearly peed her pants a little thinking that sometime in the last three weeks...perhaps during a visit with her biological father...Christina had acquired some kind of demonic cat from a Petco in hell since she'd been gone. She really really hoped she was wrong. Although her tongue felt numb and unfortunately was quite useless at present, she had grown rather fond of it over the last seventeen years.

As inconspicuous as possible Judy swallowed inaudibly and carefully unclenched her kegel muscles in an attempt to regain her composure. She didn't want to give Christina any ideas to torture or maim her with. She most likely had plenty of her own.

"By the way, nice outfit...I'm going to assume you were going for the Daisy Duke look?"

_Oh God where was Duke when you needed him? _Judy asked herself, suddenly recalling how the family's usually docile dog had growled and barked at Christina shortly after she had first entered their lives. _And speaking of the devil,_ Judy thought, grimly suspecting that the answer might lie with the peculiar fact surfacing for the first time in her brain that no one had seen hide nor hair of him since that fateful day, _did Boyd kill Duke after realizing he could sense the evil Christina possessed within her and then secretly put some kind of spell on all of us to make us forget? _

Before Judy had a chance to delve deeper into the mystery of what gruesome and sorrowful fate the long time family pet might have met that summer, Christina began burrowing deeper into the questionable fashion statement she was making, even going so far as to offer her a tip. But the real question on everyone's mind was - would she really have time to use it?


End file.
